Storage container for holding desiccant and insert to convert standardized storage container to hold desiccant

ABSTRACT

A container with an insert for a desiccant has a lid, and the insert includes a housing having sidewall portions and a bottom portion with passages for receiving a desiccant to be used with contents of the container. The passages enable air to circulate within the housing, and a cover to be secured to the housing has an upper surface containing adhesive to enable said insert be held to the undersurface of the lid for the container. The insert can be used with traditional containers such as an apothecary glass jar or a glass jar with swing top lid that can be clamped.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a storage container with insert to holda desiccant for drying materials to be stored, and an insert that can beused with a standard container having a lid, such as a traditionalapothecary style jar or jar with swing top clamping lid, to hold adesiccant for drying materials to be stored in the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is often desired to store or dry foodstuffs and other products suchas tea, tobacco or even marijuana in a container with a desiccant whileholding the desiccant or drying agent away from physical contact withthe contents of the storage container. Several products have beenproposed to store materials in such a manner, such as the proposals inU.S. Pat. Nos. 3,081,137 or 2,676,078 which require specific designs forthe lids of such containers to hold a desiccant in the lid. Otherproposals, such as those in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,317,882 or 6,986,809 may beadapted for use with existing storage containers, but are difficult toreuse and not readily adapted for use with standardized containers ofvarious types.

It may, however, be desired to use a storage container without the needfor a desiccant, or to have the ability to provide a desiccant in anstorage container to apply a drying agent to a product already stored ina container, such as a food product stored in an apothecary style jar ora traditional glass jar with swing top clamping lid. It is, therefore,an object of the present invention to provide a storage container withan insert for a desiccant, and to provide an insert that can be usedwith a standard container having a lid, such as a traditional apothecaryjar or a jar with swing top clamping lid. In this way, the insert can beremoved easily if a desiccating material is no longer needed, or theinsert can be applied to a standard storage container to desiccatematerial stored therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is illustrated by way of example in the attacheddrawings and includes a storage container with a lid and an insert, andthe insert has a housing having sidewall portions and a bottom portionwith passages for receiving a desiccant to be used with contents of thecontainer. The passages enable air to circulate within the housing, anda cover to be secured to the housing has an upper surface containingadhesive to enable the insert be held to the undersurface of the lid forthe container. The insert can also be used with a standard containerhaving a lid.

These and other objects, and advantages and features of the presentinvention will become apparent from the description given below which ismade in conjunction with the following drawing figures:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The attached figures illustrate a storage container with a lid and aninsert that can also be used with a standard container to hold adesiccant for drying materials to be stored.

FIG. 1 illustrates as an example of an embodiment of the presentinvention in use with closed glass jar with swing top clamping lid;

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of an embodiment the present invention inuse with swing top of the glass jar in open position;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an embodiment the present invention inan exploded condition showing the constituent parts;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an embodiment the present invention inits assembled condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a glass jar 10 having a lid 12 that can be held tothe jar by hinge 13 and clamped tight by clamping mechanism 14 that iswell understood. As can be understood by those skilled in the field,other types of storage containers, such as glass or plastic apothecaryjars, glass or metal canisters and the like may also be used with thepresent invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, an insert 20 of the present invention includesa housing 22 having sidewall portions 24 and a bottom portion 26 forreceiving a desiccant shown as packet 28. Slots 30 are formed in thesidewall portions 24 and openings 32 are formed in said bottom portion26 for providing passages allowing air to circulate within the housing22. A cover 34 can be secured so as to be removable from the housing 22by such structures as tab 36 of the cover 34 fitting with bayonet slot38 of the housing rim.

The upper surface of the cover 34 has a pad 40, carrying on its outersurface an adhesive. In this way, the adhesive pad 40 can be pressedagainst the undersurface of the lid 12 for the container 10 to securethe insert 20.

In preferred form, the adhesive will securely adhere the cover to theundersurface of the container lid 12. In another form, the adhesive canbe of the type that can be released and reused. By use of a an adhesivethat can be released, the pad may be removed from the undersurface ofthe lid 12 to remove the insert if desired to provide more volume forstorage of the contents when sufficiently dried.

The pad may be compressible easily and have a dome shaped upper surface.By providing a domed-shape compressible pad 40, the pad may becompressed against the undersurface of the container lid having variousconfigurations. For example, the compressible pad can be flattenedagainst a flat undersurface for the container lid 12 as shown in theexemplary embodiment, or may be pressed against an undersurface of adifferent configuration, such as the concave surface of the lids ofseveral styles and sizes of apothecary jars, to adhere the housing coverto the container lid. In this way, various pads maybe provided toaccommodate containers of differing designs for the undersurface of thelid.

In the embodiment shown, the pad 40 has a flattened upper surface toprovide secure adhesion to the flat surface of the jar illustrated.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention would be well understood by those skilled in the field, andthe above description is made in connection with an example of theinsert of the present invention used with one standard type of storagecontainer. The present invention could also be used with other storagecontainers, both well known and future developments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container for desiccating material, saidcontainer having a lid, and an insert including a housing havingsidewall portions and a bottom portion for receiving a desiccant to beused with contents of the container, passages in said sidewall portionand bottom portion allowing air to circulate within said housing, and acover to be secured to said housing and having an upper surface adaptedto be held to the undersurface of the lid for said container.
 2. Aninsert as set forth in claim 1, the upper surface of said cover havingan adhesive for holding the upper surface of said cover to theundersurface of the lid for said container.
 3. An insert asset forth inclaim 2, said adhesive being part of a pad attached to the upper surfaceof said cover.
 4. An insert asset forth in claim 2, said passages insaid sidewall portions being slots, said passages in said bottomportions being openings.
 5. An insert asset forth in claim 1, saidpassages in said sidewall portions being slots, said passages in saidbottom portions being openings.
 6. An insert asset forth in claim 1,said cover being adapted to be secured removably to said housing.
 7. Aninsert to be used with a standard container having a lid, including ahousing having sidewall portions and a bottom portion for receiving adesiccant to be used with contents of the container, passages in saidsidewall portion and bottom portion allowing air to circulate withinsaid housing, and a cover to be secured to said housing and having anupper surface adapted to be held to the undersurface of the lid for saidcontainer.
 8. An insert as set forth in claim 7, the upper surface ofsaid cover holding an adhesive for holding the upper surface of saidcover to the undersurface of the lid for said container.
 9. An insertasset forth in claim 8, said adhesive being part of a pad attached tothe upper surface of said cover.
 10. An insert asset forth in claim 8,said passages in said sidewall portions being slots, said passages insaid bottom portions being openings.
 11. An insert asset forth in claim7, said passages in said sidewall portions being slots, said passages insaid bottom portions being openings.
 12. An insert asset forth in claim7, said cover being adapted to be secured removably to said housing. 13.An insert to be used with a standard container having a lid, including ahousing having sidewall portions and a bottom portion for receiving adesiccant to be used with contents of the container, slots being formedin said sidewall portion and openings being formed in said bottomportion for providing passages allowing air to circulate within saidhousing, and a cover to be secured to said housing and having an uppersurface containing adhesive to enable said insert be held to theundersurface of the lid for the container.
 14. An insert asset forth inclaim 13 said adhesive being part of a pad attached to the upper surfaceof said cover.